News
Thursday, June 28, 2012
ECP announces new code of conduct for elections* Transporting voters by private transport will be banned
* Candidates won’t exceed limit of election expenses
* Car rallies, wall chalking, use of loudspeakers not allowed
Staff Report
ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Wednesday approved a new code of conduct for holding elections for national and provincial assemblies, said violators would be sentenced to three years’ imprisonment and Rs 5,000 fine.
According to new code of conduct, the ECP has imposed complete ban on wall chalking, use of loudspeaker and fixed Rs 1.5 million as maximum expenditure limit for election campaign. The ECP has also imposed ban on setting up political camps outside polling stations on the polling day while hoisting of flags on government installations and using vehicles for the transparation of voters by candidates is also banned.
The ECP said that political parties and candidates would inform the local administration about their meeting schedules at least one week in advance and the administration would provide appropriate security arrangements in this regard. The contesting candidates would submit their affidavits pertaining to election result.
In terms of Sub-section (2) of Section 49 of the Representation of the People Act 1976, each contesting candidate should open a bank account before June 29 and deposit the amount not exceeding the given limit to meet the election expenses. For the monitoring of election campaigns, the ECP directed that a three-member team, including one professional cameraman, should monitor the same as well as election process while the local administration would be responsible to provide security to the team. Under the ECP’s new code of conduct, the district returning officer should hold meeting with the candidates and apprise them of the relevant laws and rules of the Supreme Court pertaining to the code of conduct and election campaign expenses. The ECP has issued the direction to the local administrations in this regard.
According to the new code of conduct, transporting voters to polling stations using candidates’ private transport would be banned.
In election campaigns, car rallies are not allowed to travel long distances except if they have pre-arranged corner meetings at specific designated places. The local administration must also ensure that all candidates are accommodated indiscriminately.
No person or a political party shall affix posters, hoardings or banners larger than the sizes prescribed. No person or a political party shall hoist or fix party flags on any public property or at any public place, except with the permission in writing from, and on payment of such fee or charges as may be chargeable by the local government or authorities concerned.
Establishment of camps near the polling stations on the polling day in the aforesaid constituency by the political parties, the contesting candidates or their supporters has been banned in terms of Section 84 of the act.
No political party or a contesting candidate or their supporters would be allowed to distribute notes containing voters’ details - name, parentage, address, serial number etc - or any note containing symbol of a political party or contesting candidate near or in the vicinity of polling station on the polling day within the radius of 400 yards of the polling station.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk